So, you launched your website? Now the job is done, right? Not so fast. Once your website is up and running, the work is not over. To maximize the performance of your website, you should regularly check it for issues and keep it updated and relevant.
Here’s a list of 8 things to do on a regular basis to keep your website running smoothly:
Test and Optimize the Loading Speed of Your Website
Nobody likes websites that take forever to load. According to research by Google, 53% of mobile users leave a page that takes more than three seconds to load. So, identifying what slows your site down and fixing it is a quick way to improve user experience and make visitors more likely to return to your site.
One tool that helps you test and optimize the loading speed of your website is Pingdom’s Website Speed Test. Simply enter your website’s URL, and it will grade the site’s performance and give recommendations on how to make it load faster.
Find and Fix 404s
Another way you can keep your website in top shape is to fix 404 errors. Broken links lead to 404 errors and make your user’s experience much worse. A common reason why a 404 error might occur is that content on the website was deleted or moved to another URL.
One way to fix 404 errors is to manually visit every page of your website and click on any link you can find. Obviously, that’s not much fun. A more convenient approach is to use a tool like Dr. Link Check, which automatically crawls through your entire website and identifies the links that need your attention.
Install the Latest Security Updates
Setting up a web server or a content management system (CMS) like WordPress without keeping it updated may lead to vulnerabilities in your website and expose it to hacker attacks. To keep your users and yourself safe, it’s very important to install the latest updates as soon as they come out.
Run an External Security Scan
Alongside installing the latest security updates on your website, you should also regularly run external security scans for vulnerabilities. Services like Website Vulnerability Scanner and Sucuri SiteCheck check your web server for security holes, known malware and viruses, as well as server configuration issues. Make it a habit to run your site through a security scanner at least once a month.
Perform A Backup
Performing a routine backup of your website’s files and database may save you in the long run. If something happens to your website, you will have a working version that you can use to put it back online ASAP. As a result, the users of your website will be able to enjoy the services your website provides with as minimal interruption as possible.
Review Your Site Analytics
Regularly go through your website analytics and review the site’s traffic during a specific period. You can pinpoint the pages that your users are leaving faster than others, hence signaling that there are problems with your website’s current performance. Also, by reviewing your site’s analytics, you can assess what content is thriving on your website and what is not. You can then make the necessary adjustments to help your website succeed.
Update Outdated Content
Taking time to go through your website and looking for content that needs updating is always a good practice. Is your contact information still up to date? Is there something you could add to a blog post to make it better and more relevant? If not, make the necessary changes.
Create New Content
Besides updating old and outdated pages on your website, another important item on your to-do list should be to create new content. By adding new content, you will keep supplying your website’s visitors (and search engine bots) with new, interesting, and engaging content. As a result, they will keep coming back for more and increase the traffic to your site.
Conclusion
Just like you maintain your car by changing the oil, there are certain maintenance tasks you need to perform on your website to keep it in tip-top shape. The eight points outlined in this article give you a good start on what needs to be done once a website is launched.
